“The Center kicked off the 75th anniversary of the Montlake laboratory with an international orca symposium on April 3-5. “Southern resident killer whales are the most studied cetaceans on earth,” said Dr. Linda Jones, yet several data gaps still exist. Dr. Jones was honored by NOAA Fisheries and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for her outstanding leadership at the helm of the Center’s marine mammal program, now led by Dr. Michael Ford. During her over 30-year tenure, Jones oversaw more than $5 million in federally-sponsored research projects, including some of the genetic studies that ultimately led to the orca’s recent listing as an endangered species. Over 200 people attended the orca symposium to discuss state-of-the art research and data gaps regarding the risk factors affecting orca decline (contaminants, noise, vessel traffic, and decline of prey species such as Chinook salmon).”